How do we get more girls involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers? A common thread can be found in the story of every “Secret Life” woman with a successful STEM career. From Mayim Bialik’s on-set tutor to Preetha Ram and the Dalai Lama, nearly all have been influenced by a mentor.

We’re excited to announce a new collaboration with HuffPost Girls in STEM, a mentorship program that has paired over 500 girls with scientists and engineers in their field of interest. Selected mentees from the program joined us on the “Secret Life” set to meet some of today’s leading scientists and ask them anything they wanted.

In the first episode of this partnership, HuffPost Girls in STEM Mentee Lauren Yesko asked our own Dr. Rudy Tanzi a few questions. Watch the video below, and check out the Q&A with Lauren that follows.

Your Name and Age?

Lauren Yesko, 16.

What field of STEM are you interested in? Fantasy Career?

Genetics. A career in Agricultural Genetics is a dream career of mine.

What was it like coming on set?

Coming on set was a unique experience completely opposite to what I expected. Instead of arriving to a chaotic set where I could get lost in the mix, I arrived to a bustling yet quiet and controlled set where the people were receptive and welcoming.

How was speaking with Rudy Tanzi? What did you learn from him?

Speaking with Rudy Tanzi was an enlightening experience. Despite his extensive accomplishments, he was humble and informative, and approached our video interview as a friendly mentor. Dr. Tanzi outlined his continuing research and work, in a digestible form, which allowed me to formulate and ask questions of my own. The result was a dynamic conversation that inspired a deeper interest in Genetics for me.

What kind of questions did you ask?

‘What is the best advice someone has ever given you?’ and ‘What is the best advice you have ever given someone?’ were some of the questions I asked Dr. Tanzi.

What surprised you the most?

What surprised me most about the entire experience was how excited Dr. Tanzi was about my interest in science and presence on set. He really wanted to make sure he could answer all my questions as well as support my interest in science. After filming he even wrote down information I could look up as well as the names of other prominent scientists in his field that I could research.

This week, NASA announced that it will partner with the European Space Agency to send a 4,760-pound spacecraft into space to peer out over billions of galaxies in an effort to map and measure the universe. Its purpose: to investigate the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.

Original funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers" was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.